Told you we'd find a place to live...

We've got a flat!

It's pretty fancy-schmancy, especially compared to what we get in Brooklyn for a much higher price. I can't get over the size of the place. They're 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and we're only sharing with a British couple, Emily and Andre (though in the past, there were as many as 8 or 9 people here). Andre has been here 2 years, and Emily since November, so we've got great tips from them. Also, I am pretty sure that between my roommates and the affected Indian English, I will have a Brit accent by the time I return to the States.

Its in the upscale neighborhood of Banjara Hills and on the high end of our budget (though, our budget was pretty low), but its furnished, ok for a temporary stay, and gorgeous. It's been traded around among the small scene of NGO workers around here for some years, and like many apartments that go through cycles of friends, full of charming (and not so charming) remnants of past dwellers-- from colorful decorations to a plastic bucket supporting the bed.

Everything that wants to look fancy in Indian is made out of white and grey marble, so, most of out apartment is marble. I love the sound my sandals make as I shuffle up the 5 flights of smooth stone.

Also, regarding Bartley's post just below:

I still wake up every morning when the call to prayer begins, in that lovely pre-dawn pale blue light. Our first night in Hyderabad, as we slept on a rush mat and blankets in Manish and Saurabh's living room, I was startled out of my sleep just before 6am as the call began. I was pretty sure I knew what it was, but even so I was utterly overwhelmed by the sound. I remember thinking to myself it sounded like either the gates of hell, heaven, or both had just opened up. It is beautiful and chilling. I had goosebumps as I sat bolt upright on the mat and listened.

During the rest of the day, you hear a similar call (5 times), but only at dawn is it as ethereal and arresting. A day or two later, I recorded it as a sound memo on my camera as I held it out the window at arm's length, but, of course, no recording can really do it justice. Plus, I'm too technically incompetent to know how to retrieve the memo from my camera to post it (it didn't show up with the photo upon download...).